Niner Noise
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4 free agents the SF 49ers should call right now

By Timmy Gibson

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers chats to Clay Matthews #52 of the Los Angeles Rams (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers chats to Clay Matthews #52 of the Los Angeles Rams (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Taylor Gabriel, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (18) Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s Week 6 of the NFL season, and the SF 49ers have experienced a slew of injuries. Here are four free agents the Niners should call right now.

It certainly does not feel good to be an SF 49ers fan right now. Not after Sunday’s 43-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Yes, those Miami Dolphins.

However, it is not time to rule out a playoff run for this Niners team just yet. The NFC is still wide open, and this year marks the addition of a seventh playoff spot in each conference, so the SF 49ers have plenty of time to right the ship.

And they may be able to. Despite last week’s atrocious loss, the 49ers still have a talented team. They have been absolutely demolished by injuries this season and should hopefully be getting healthier over the coming weeks.

Because this season is far from over, the Niners should be looking to add depth and help in a few key places, especially because of injuries. In this piece, let’s take a look at four players 49ers’ general manager John Lynch should call right now if he hasn’t already.

No. 1: Wide Receiver Taylor Gabriel

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the SF 49ers need to add some depth at wide receiver. As seems nearly constant in the past few years for San Francisco, the Niners receiver room could use an addition. Despite the emergence of rookie Brandon Aiyuk and the return of Deebo Samuel, the 49ers should look to add another receiver for depth, as it’s clear Dante Pettis is not going to break out.

Former Chicago Bear Taylor Gabriel is the perfect player for the Niners to add.

Gabriel already has experience in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, as the two worked together when Shanahan was the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator. Gabriel has performed well in stretches, catching six touchdowns in the Falcons’ 2016 Super Bowl runner-up season.

Currently, he is a free agent after two seasons with Chicago. His numbers with the Bears were not great, but they weren’t horrible either. He finished those seasons with two and four receiving touchdowns and 688 and 353 receiving yards, respectively. It’s worth noting those Bears seasons were with Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback, so issues with Gabriel’s performance could as much be on his quarterback as on his play.

The bottom line is Gabriel is possibly the best receiver available on the NFL free agency market, and the SF 49ers could use additional depth at the position. So, they should call Gabriel up and see if he wants to reunite with his old coordinator.